The Host Chapter 33: Doubted

Another splash. Kyle's weight tortured my arms. â€Å"Wanda? Wanda!† â€Å"Help me! Kyle! The floor! Help!† I had my face pressed against the stone, my eyes toward the cave entrance. The light was bright overhead as the day dawned. I held my breath. My arms screamed. â€Å"Wanda! Where are you?† Ian leaped through the door, the rifle in his hands, held low and ready. His face was the angry mask his brother had worn. â€Å"Watch out!† I screamed at him. â€Å"The floor is breaking up! I can't hold him much longer!† It took him two long seconds to process the scene that was so different from the one he'd been expecting-Kyle, trying to kill me. The scene that had been, just seconds ago. Then he threw the gun to the cave floor and started toward me with a long stride. â€Å"Get down-disperse your weight!† He dropped to all fours and scuttled to me, his eyes burning in the light of dawn. â€Å"Don't let go,† he cautioned. I groaned in pain. He assessed for another second, and then slid his body behind mine, pushing me closer to the rock. His arms were longer than mine. Even with me in the way, he was able to get his hands around his brother. â€Å"One, two, three,† he grunted. He pulled Kyle up against the rock, much more securely than I'd had him. The movement smashed my face into the pillar. The bad side, though-it couldn't get much more scarred at this point. â€Å"I'm going to pull him to this side. Can you squeeze out?† â€Å"I'll try.† I loosened my hold on Kyle, feeling my shoulders ache in relief, making sure Ian had him. Then I wriggled out from between Ian and the rock, careful not to put myself on a dangerous section of the floor. I crawled backward a few feet toward the door, ready to make a grab for Ian if he started slipping. Ian hauled his inert brother around one side of the pillar, dragging him in jerks, a foot at a time. More of the floor crumbled, but the foundation of the pillar remained intact. A new shelf formed about two feet out from the column of rock. Ian crawled backward the way I had, dragging his brother along in short surges of muscle and will. Within a minute, we were all three in the mouth of the corridor, Ian and I breathing in gasps. â€Å"What†¦ the hell†¦ happened?† â€Å"Our weight†¦ was too†¦ much. Floor caved in.† â€Å"What were you doing†¦ by the edge? With Kyle?† I put my head down and concentrated on breathing. Well, tell him. What will happen then? You know what will happen. Kyle broke the rules. Jeb will shoot him, or they'll kick him out. Maybe Ian will beat the snot out of him first. That would be fun to watch. Melanie didn't really mean it-I didn't think so, anyway. She was just still mad at me for risking our lives to save our would-be murderer. Exactly, I told her. And if they kick Kyle out for me†¦ or kill him†¦ I shuddered. Well, can't you see how little sense that would make? He's one of you. We've got a life here, Wanda. You're jeopardizing that. It's my life, too. And I'm†¦ well, I'm me. Melanie groaned in disgust. â€Å"Wanda?† Ian demanded. â€Å"Nothing,† I muttered. â€Å"You're a rotten liar. You know that, right?† I kept my head down and breathed. â€Å"What did he do?† â€Å"Nothing,† I lied. Poorly. Ian put his hand under my chin, pulled my face up. â€Å"Your nose is bleeding.† He twisted my head to the side. â€Å"And there's more blood in your hair.† â€Å"I-hit my head when the floor fell.† â€Å"On both sides?† I shrugged. Ian glared at me for a long moment. The darkness of the tunnel muted the brilliance of his eyes. â€Å"We should get Kyle to Doc-he really cracked his head when he went down.† â€Å"Why are you protecting him? He tried to kill you.† It was a statement of fact, not a question. His expression slowly melted from anger to horror. He was imagining what we had been doing on that unstable shelf-I could see that in his eyes. When I did not answer, he spoke again in a whisper. â€Å"He was going to throw you in the river†¦Ã¢â‚¬  A strange tremor shook his body. Ian had one arm around Kyle-he'd collapsed that way and seemed too tired to move. Now he shoved his unconscious brother away roughly, sliding farther from him in disgust. He slid into me and wrapped his arms around my shoulders. He pulled me close against his chest-I could feel his breath go in and out, still more ragged than normal. It felt very strange. â€Å"I should roll him right back in there and kick him over the edge myself.† I shook my head frantically, making it throb in pain. â€Å"No.† â€Å"Saves time. Jeb made the rules clear. You try to hurt someone here, there are penalties. There'll be a tribunal.† I tried to pull away from him, but he tightened his grip. It wasn't frightening, not like the way Kyle had grabbed me. But it was upsetting-it threw me off balance. â€Å"No. You can't do that, because no one broke the rules. The floor collapsed, that's all.† â€Å"Wanda -â€Å" â€Å"He's your brother.† â€Å"He knew what he was doing. He's my brother, yes, but he did what he did, and you are†¦ you are†¦ my friend.† â€Å"He did nothing. He is human,† I whispered. â€Å"This is his place, not mine.† â€Å"We're not having this discussion again. Your definition of human is not the same as mine. To you, it means something†¦ negative. To me, it's a compliment-and by my definition, you are and he isn't. Not after this.† â€Å"Human isn't a negative to me. I know you now. But Ian, he's your brother.† â€Å"A fact that shames me.† I pushed away from him again. This time, he let me go. It might have had something to do with the moan of pain that escaped my lips when I moved my leg. â€Å"Are you okay?† â€Å"I think so. We need to find Doc, but I don't know if I can walk. I-I hit my leg, when I fell.† A growl strangled in his throat. â€Å"Which leg? Let me see.† I tried to straighten out my hurt leg-it was the right one-and groaned again. His hands started at my ankle, testing the bones, the joints. He rotated my ankle carefully. â€Å"Higher. Here.† I pulled his hand to the back of my thigh, just above the knee. I moaned again when he pressed the sore place. â€Å"It's not broken or anything, I don't think. Just really sore.† â€Å"Deep muscle bruise, at least,† he muttered. â€Å"And how did this happen?† â€Å"Must have†¦ landed on a rock when I fell.† He sighed. â€Å"Okay, let's get you to Doc.† â€Å"Kyle needs him more than I do.† â€Å"I have to go find Doc anyway-or some help. I can't carry Kyle that far, but I can certainly carry you. Oops-hold on.† He turned abruptly and ducked back into the river room. I decided I wouldn't argue with him. I wanted to see Walter before†¦ Doc had promised to wait for me. Would that first dose of painkiller wear off soon? My head swam. There was so much to worry about, and I was so tired. The adrenaline had drained, leaving me empty. Ian came back with the gun. I frowned because this reminded me that I'd wished for it before. I didn't like that. â€Å"Let's go.† Without thinking, he handed the gun to me. I let it fall into my open palms, but I couldn't curl my hands around it. I decided it was a suitable punishment, to have to carry the thing. Ian chuckled. â€Å"How anyone could be afraid of you†¦Ã¢â‚¬  he mumbled to himself. He picked me up easily and was moving before I was settled. I tried to keep the tenderest parts-the back of my head, the back of my leg-from resting on him too hard. â€Å"How'd your clothes get so wet?† he asked. We were passing under one of the fist-sized skylights, and I could see the hint of a grim smile on his pale lips. â€Å"I don't know,† I muttered. â€Å"Steam?† We passed into darkness again. â€Å"You're missing a shoe.† â€Å"Oh.† We passed through another beam of light, and his eyes flashed sapphire. They were serious now, locked on my face. â€Å"I'm†¦ very glad that you weren't hurt, Wanda. Hurt worse, I should say.† I didn't answer. I was afraid of giving him something to use against Kyle. Jeb found us just before we hit the big cave. There was enough light for me to see the sharp glint of curiosity in his eyes when he saw me in Ian's arms, face bleeding, the gun resting gingerly on my open hands. â€Å"You were right, then,† Jeb guessed. The curiosity was strong, but the steel in his tone was stronger. His jaw was tight beneath the fan of his beard. â€Å"I didn't hear a shot. Kyle?† â€Å"He's unconscious,† I said in a rush. â€Å"You need to warn everyone-part of the floor collapsed in the river room. I don't know how stable it is now. Kyle hit his head really hard trying to get out of the way. He needs Doc.† Jeb raised one eyebrow so high it almost touched the faded bandanna at his hairline. â€Å"That's the story,† Ian said, making no effort to conceal his doubt. â€Å"And she's apparently sticking to it.† Jeb laughed. â€Å"Let me take that off your hands,† he said to me. I let him have the gun willingly. He laughed again at my expression. â€Å"I'll get Andy and Brandt to help me with Kyle. We'll follow behind you.† â€Å"Keep a close eye on him when he wakes up,† Ian said in a hard tone. â€Å"Can do.† Jeb slouched off, looking for more hands. Ian hurried me toward the hospital cave. â€Å"Kyle could be really hurt†¦ Jeb should hurry.† â€Å"Kyle's head is harder than any rock in this place.† The long tunnel felt longer than usual. Was Kyle dying, despite my efforts? Was he conscious again and looking for me? What about Walter? Was he sleeping†¦ or gone? Had the Seeker given up her hunt, or would she be back now that it was light again? Will Jared still be with Doc? Mel added her questions to mine. Will he be angry when he sees you? Will he know me? When we reached the sunlit southern cave, Jared and Doc didn't look like they'd moved much. They leaned, side by side, against Doc's makeshift desk. It was quiet as we approached. They weren't talking, just watching Walter sleep. They started up with wide eyes as Ian carried me into the light and laid me on the cot next to Walter's. He straightened my right leg carefully. Walter was snoring. That sound eased some of my tension. â€Å"What now?† Doc demanded angrily. He was bending over me as soon as the words were out, wiping at the blood on my cheek. Jared's face was frozen in surprise. He was being careful, not letting the expression give way to anything else. â€Å"Kyle,† Ian answered at the same time that I said, â€Å"The floor -â€Å" Doc looked back and forth between us, confused. Ian sighed and rolled his eyes. Absently, he laid one hand lightly on my forehead. â€Å"The floor crumbled by the first river hole. Kyle fell back and cracked his head on a rock. Wanda saved his worthless life. She says she fell, too, when the floor gave.† Ian gave Doc a meaningful look. â€Å"Something,† he said the word sarcastically, â€Å"bashed the back of her head pretty good.† He started listing. â€Å"Her nose is bleeding but not broken, I don't think. She's got some damage to the muscle here.† He touched my sore thigh. â€Å"Knees sliced up pretty good, got her face again, but I think maybe I did that, trying to pull Kyle out of the hole. Shouldn't have bothered.† Ian muttered the last part. â€Å"Anything else?† Doc asked. At that moment, his fingers, probing along my side, reached the place where Kyle had punched me. I gasped. Doc tugged my shirt up, and I heard both Ian and Jared hiss at what they saw. â€Å"Let me guess,† Ian said in a voice like ice. â€Å"You fell on a rock.† â€Å"Good guess,† I agreed, breathless. Doc was still touching my side, and I was trying to hold back whimpers. â€Å"Might have broken a rib, not sure,† Doc murmured. â€Å"I wish I could give you something for the pain -â€Å" â€Å"Don't worry about that, Doc,† I panted. â€Å"I'm okay. How's Walter? Did he wake up at all?† â€Å"No, it will take some time to sleep that dose off,† Doc said. He took my hand and started bending my wrist, my elbow. â€Å"I'm okay.† His kind eyes were soft as he met my gaze. â€Å"You will be. You'll just have to rest for a while. I'll keep an eye on you. Here, turn your head.† I did as he asked, and then winced while he examined my wound. â€Å"Not here,† Ian muttered. I couldn't see Doc, but Jared threw Ian a sharp look. â€Å"They're bringing Kyle. I'm not having them in the same room.† Doc nodded. â€Å"Probably wise.† â€Å"I'll get a place ready for her. I'll need you to keep Kyle here until†¦ until we decide what to do with him.† I started to speak, but Ian put his fingers on my lips. â€Å"All right,† Doc agreed. â€Å"I'll tie him down, if you want.† â€Å"If we have to. Is it okay to move her?† Ian glanced toward the tunnel, his face anxious. Doc hesitated. â€Å"No,† I whispered, Ian's fingers still touching my mouth. â€Å"Walter. I want to be here for Walter.† â€Å"You've saved all the lives you can save today, Wanda,† Ian said, his voice gentle and sad. â€Å"I want to say†¦ to say good-goodbye.† Ian nodded. Then he looked at Jared. â€Å"Can I trust you?† Jared's face flushed with anger. Ian held up his hand. â€Å"I don't want to leave her here unprotected while I find her a safe place,† Ian said. â€Å"I don't know if Kyle will be conscious when he arrives. If Jeb shoots him, it will upset her. But you and Doc should be able to handle him. I don't want Doc to be on his own, and force Jeb's hand.† Jared spoke through clenched teeth. â€Å"Doc won't be on his own.† Ian hesitated. â€Å"She's been through hell in the past couple of days. Remember that.† Jared nodded once, teeth still clamped together. â€Å"I'll be here,† Doc reminded Ian. Ian met his gaze. â€Å"Okay.† He leaned over me, and his luminous eyes held mine. â€Å"I'll be back soon. Don't be afraid.† â€Å"I'm not.† He ducked in and touched his lips to my forehead. No one was more surprised than I, though I heard Jared gasp quietly. My mouth hung open as Ian wheeled and nearly sprinted from the room. I heard Doc pull a breath in through his teeth, like a backward whistle. â€Å"Well,† he said. They both stared at me for a long moment. I was so tired and sore, I barely cared what they were thinking. â€Å"Doc -† Jared started to say something in an urgent tone, but a clamor from the tunnel interrupted him. Five men struggled through the opening. Jeb, in front, had Kyle's left leg in his arms. Wes had the right leg, and behind them, Andy and Aaron worked to support his torso. Kyle's head lolled back over Andy's shoulder. â€Å"Stars, but he's heavy,† Jeb grunted. Jared and Doc sprang forward to help. After a few minutes of cursing and groaning, Kyle was lying on a cot a few feet away from mine. â€Å"How long has he been out, Wanda?† Doc asked me. He pulled Kyle's eyelids back, letting the sunlight shine into his pupils. â€Å"Um†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I thought quickly. â€Å"As long as I've been here, the ten minutes or so it took Ian to carry me here, and then maybe five more minutes before that?† â€Å"At least twenty minutes, would you say?† â€Å"Yes. Close to that.† While we were consulting, Jeb had made his own diagnosis. No one paid any attention as he came to stand at the head of Kyle's cot. No one paid any attention-until he turned an open bottle of water over Kyle's face. â€Å"Jeb,† Doc complained, knocking his hand away. But Kyle sputtered and blinked, and then moaned. â€Å"What happened? Where did it go?† He started to shift his weight, trying to look around. â€Å"The floor†¦ is moving†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Kyle's voice had my fingers clenching the sides of my cot and panic washing through me. My leg ached. Could I limp away? Slowly, perhaps†¦ â€Å"‘S okay,† someone murmured. Not someone. I would always know that voice. Jared moved to stand between my cot and Kyle's, his back to me, his eyes on the big man. Kyle rolled his head back and forth, groaning. â€Å"You're safe,† Jared said in a low voice. He didn't look at me. â€Å"Don't be afraid.† I took a deep breath. Melanie wanted to touch him. His hand was close to mine, resting on the edge of my cot. Please, no, I told her. My face hurts quite enough as it is! He won't hit you. You think. I'm not willing to risk it. Melanie sighed; she yearned to move toward him. It wouldn't have been so hard to bear if I weren't yearning also. Give him time, I pleaded. Let him get used to us. Wait till he really believes. She sighed again. â€Å"Aw, hell!† Kyle grumbled. My gaze flickered toward him at the sound of his voice. I could just see his bright eyes around Jared's elbow, focused on me. â€Å"It didn't fall!† he complained.

Circumcision in South African Males vs Phillipino Males Essay

Compare and contrast the attitudes, beliefs and perspectives around a specific health issue amongst two different population groups, and consider the implications of this for clinical or community practice. Introduction A controversial health issue around the world is male circumcision. Male circumcision is the removal of part of or the entire foreskin on the penis and is a controversial topic in many countries and across many different religions. In this essay the beliefs, attitudes and perspectives of South African men will be compared those of Filipino men about medical male circumcision and traditional male circumcision. Traditional circumcisions are usually performed outside of formal medical settings by providers who have a special training but are not health care professionals. Medical circumcision alternatively is performed by a medical professional in a medical setting. According to the world health organisation (WHO), 30% of men worldwide have been circumcised, mostly in developing countries where it takes place for religious and cultural reasons (World Health Organisation [WHO], 2007a). Male circumcision is an important issue, especially in South Africa and the Philippines, as third world countries as it can be uses as a partial preventative measure against HIV infection. Description of population groups The two population groups I chose were South African men and Filipino men. I chose South African men as one of my population groups because while studying circumcision I noticed there was a lot of literature on the topic in relation to South Africa and surrounding nations and the effects it has on preventing HIV transmission. I found this population group interesting because in South Africa even though there is clear benefits in reducing HIV transmission and great publicity around the benefits only 35% of men were circumcised (WHO, 2007a). Furthermore in researching this topic I discovered multiple reasons why men chose to get circumcised, one reason was purely so they weren’t uncircumcised witch I found strange. This was the case in the Philippines, where 90% of all men are circumcised, and most saying there reason for being circumcised was so they weren’t uncircumcised (Lee, 2006). I found this reasoning interesting and decided to explore this culture for my second population group. If circumcision can reduce the chances of transmitting HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases as well as reduce penile cancer it is important to understand different cultures beliefs and attitudes toward the procedure to encourage circumcision within the culture. It is also good to understand why some cultures have such high rate of circumcision compared to other cultures and countries as it may help develop strategies to promote circumcision countries with lower rates. South Africa In South Africa 57. 2% of circumcised men had traditional circumcisions and 42. 8% were medically circumcised (Connolly, Simbayi, Shanmugam, & Nqeketo, 2008). Amongst this circumcised population, the majority of the medically circumcised men were white (97. 8%) or Indian (92. 8%), compared with traditional circumcision which was mostly Black South Africans (Connolly et al. , 2008). In South Africa, more specifically within the Black South African community circumcision is done for religious and cultural reasons (Peltzer & Kanta, 2009). It is seen as a ritual that marks the passage from boyhood to manhood for the adolescent. The process usually requires boys to spend about a month in induction camps in seclusion away from women and outsiders. If they fail there initiation into man hood they are believed to be stuck as a boy for the rest of their life. The ritual is considered by the community as a sacred custom (Peltzer & Kanta, 2009). Traditionally this ritual involved traditional circumcisions and traditional initiation, however more recently some communities have allowed medical circumcision followed by traditional initiation into manhood. However there is a hostile relationship between men who were traditionally circumcised and men who were medically circumcised. While most men acknowledge medical circumcision is safer and know the benefits it has in helping prevent HIV and sexually transmitted disease, they fear that they will be ridiculed by peers and stigmatised as â€Å"cowards† and not viewed as â€Å"real men† for having the procedure done under anaesthesia (Peltzer & Kanta, 2009, p. 91). They believe that the pain makes the boys courageous, strong men and is a passage into manhood, where they can have a wife and kids. Philippines On the other hand, in the Philippines very few men are circumcised for religious or cultural reasons. Boys are usually circumcised between the ages of five and eighteen with most being circumcised between ten and fourteen (Lee, 2006). Most boys report being circumcised just so they are not uncircumcised, to avoid teasing and stigma in the community. Many Filipino men believe women prefer circumcised males, and therefor to be masculine and have a wife and children it is preferable to be circumcised. Similar to South African beliefs Filipino boys become circumcised because they do not want to be seen as â€Å"cowards† for not having the courage to go through the pain and anxiety associated with the process (Lee, 2006, p. 228). Filipino men also report getting circumcised because it was their parent’s orders or they were threatened with a beating if they chose not to or because it was just normal for a boy his age to and his friends were getting it done. Many men report being nervous for the procedure but excited to achieve the man hood they have anticipated. Most of the Filipino men submit to this social culture because they want to be seen as masculine and not as a coward. It is a social phenomenon, propelled by individuals need to conform and gain acceptance through this procedure by acquiring a range of masculine related traits and opportunities (Lee, 2006). Comparison of population groups While the two countries have different religions and cultural views, the striking similarity between the two population groups is that they both view the practice of circumcision and the pain and anxiety associated with this process as empowering to the men. Fulfilment of this ritual enhances psycho-social health because it frees them of ridicule and stigma as a â€Å"coward† (Lee, 2006, p. 228). Being circumcised means men from both cultures are considered masculine and therefore allows them to carry out tasks that are believed to be masculine such as having a family. However circumcision in South Africa is seen as a rite of passage and a sacred ritual that allows boys to become me and usually occurs later in life around the age of seventeen to twenty-one but even as late as twenty-six (Mavundla, Netswera, Bottoman, & Toth, 2009). Whereas, in the Philippines the procedure is more of a social trend, done because everyone else is getting it performed. It is also performed much earlier, most commonly between the age of ten and fourteen in the Philippines. South Africa have a more spiritual and deeper reasoning for having the procedure done, men display a deeper more conscious reasoning for having the procedure compared to Filipino men, who tend to follow the social trend (Mavundla et al. , 2009). With so many Filipino men circumcised (90%) the social trend hold strong and the even with new information about risks and benefits the majority continue to get the procedure done (Lee, 2009), while in South Africa with more information coming out more people are opting for medical circumcision with over 130 000 medical circumcisions being performed in 2010 (WHO, 2011). There is a growing trend in South Africa to have medical circumcision, whereas in the Philippines the process in considered outside the general realm of medicine and therefore is not performed in medical settings. While they have different culture and beliefs, and go about performing the procedure differently there main motive to be masculine is common amongst both population groups. Conclusion The advantages associated with being circumcised show great potential to help lower the rates of HIV and sexually transmitted disease in South Africa if more men are circumcised. The cultural transition into manhood is a barrier to overcome as medical circumcision is believed to interfere with this process. If however medical circumcision became more of a social norm as it is viewed in the Philippines, more boys would be inclined to have the procedure to fit in with the rest of the community.  The social normality of the process seems to have a greater influence on boy’s preference then cultural or religious reasons, as 90% of Filipino men are circumcised compared to 35% of South African men (Lee, 2006; WHO, 2007a). Guidelines South Africa: * Conducting community based education and information sessions on the health risks and problems associated with traditional circumcision, and how allowing medical circumcision followed by traditional initiation can reduce these risks. Train more male nurses who can perform the circumcision since most nurses in South Africa are female and boys going through initiation are not allowed contact with women because if they see women during this time they fail there initiation into man hood. * Understand the community’s rationale for the ritual circumcision and work with the community to find alternative solutions together, and trying to help reduce the stigma associated with men being medically circumcised with alternative ays to prove their strength. Philippines: * Developing circumcision clinics throughout the Philippines where boys can have the procedure performed in proper hygienic conditions. * Giving boys information about the risks and benefits of the procedure so they can more meaningfully decide to have to procedure done * Explain the procedure, and offer pain medication so that boy don’t have to feel so nervous about what is happening and have a better understanding of what going to happen.

Business Regulation Law

When an organization do not comply with the state and federal regulation the company can face fines or become caught up in major litigation, costing the company major expenses. In this memo I will identify common tort and risk found in the organization of Alumina, and describe different measures to manage risk. Some common torts found at Alumina are negligence, defamation/slander/libel, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), and strict liability is tort liabilities uncovered. Alumina Violation Alumina is an aluminum maker base in the United States and has operation in eight countries. The aluminum maker is on Lake Dira in the state of Erehwon. Alumina is under the jurisdiction of region six under the Environmental Protection Agency. A few years ago Alumina was found in violation with the Environmental Protection Agency for environmental discharge norms in an Environmental Protection Agency compliance evaluation. The PAH levels were above prescribe limits. Alumina was order to clean up the problem in which they complied too quickly. Because of this incident Alumina has maintain a good compliance record. Recently a resident name Kelly Bates claims that Alumina continuous contamination of Lake Dira with pollutants. Bates threatens to file a suit against the company for punitive damages and recovery damages. She believes that the incident that occurred several years ago is the cause of her daughter’s leukemia. Tort Liability A tort is a â€Å"civil wrong that is an interference with someone’s person or property such that an injury results† (Jennings, 2006, p. 367). Torts can be categorized as intentional torts, torts of negligence, and strict liability torts. Intentional torts are those that result in a harm not accidental. Torts of negligence are accidental harms that result from a failure to act appropriately in a given situation. Strict liability torts assign absolute liability and offer very few defenses. Defamation of Character A company or a person reputation is a valuable asset. The tort of defamation of character requires that a plaintiff prove that: the defendant made an untrue statement about the plaintiff or the statement was intentionally published by a third party (Cheeseman, 2010). Written False statements are referred to as libel and verbal statement are referred to as slander. Bates made a libel statement in the newspaper about Alumina and the violation that occurred years ago. This defamation can have a negative effect on the company. Alumina can lose business with a bad reputation and once the reputation has gone sour it is hard to reclaim the good name. Freedom of Information Act A local news reporter and Kelly Bates approached the EPA to obtain environmental audit reports that documented Alumina violation of the Clean Water Act. Bates requested the documents under the Freedom of Information Act; this act was enacted in Congress in 1966 to the American public great access to the Federal Government records (Federal Communication Commission, 2010) . The Company chooses to release partial audit information from the violation from years ago. Alumina has the right to withhold informational this qualifies under the Confidential Business Information, which is available under exemption four of the Freedom of information Act. Strict liability Negligence and Strict liability Negligence, the most common tort, is explained as conduct that falls below standards of behavior established by the law for the protection others against unreasonable risk harm (Cheeseman, 2010). In this case of negligence Bates must prove that Alumina had a duty to keep the PAH levels contained. In a case Alumina breaches that duty by not staying in compliance with the EPA regulation several years ago. Bates assumes that the consumption of the water cause the harm of her daughter to have leukemia. In response Alumina chose to conduct an independent site study for new violations. The reports come back good the PAH levels were well below the standard. After releasing a partial audit report Bates has threaten to file a lawsuit against Alumina of personal injury to recover compensation and punitive damages. Alumina negligent conduct of â€Å"serious violation of environmental laws five years ago is the cause of her daughter leukemia,† alleged by Bates (Business Regulations Simulation, 2010). The best resolution for this situation is mediation by a neutral third party, by choosing this options Alumina can provide Bates with a confidential settlement. The settlement includes that Alumina provides Bates with reimbursement of medical expenses for her daughter treatment a lump sum for future treatments and a college fund set aside if her daughters recovers from the leukemia (Business Regulations Simulation, 2010). Although tort liability is founded on intended harm strict liability is attached even though the defendant has been reasonable. In the Article titled â€Å" The American Influence on Canadian Tort Law† author Allen M. Linden states â€Å" One person may be require to compensate another for injury or damages even though the loss was neither intentionally or negligently inflicted. If Alumina had taken the case to court, the company would have been in a long litigation process costing the company thousands and even millions of dollar. The mediation process is half the cost of a court trial and there is no guarantee that the jury would agree with Alumina even though the company may have had proof that the allegation against the company was false. The jury tends to side with the victims. Preventative, Detective, and Corrective Measures In an organization it will be hard to prevent allegation against the company, but the company needs to prepare for such issues when they arise. A preventative plan should be put into place. The company should make it a priority that the employees of the company aware of the rules and regulations of the state and federal laws. The company should be aware of the competitors who have violated any government regulations and improve their process so that the company will not violate the same regulations as the competition. Health risk that may be exposes to the staff, customers, and other should be included in the document also. Conclusion Alumina has to abide by state and federal rules these laws are in place to improve environmental safety. The agency that regulates Alumina was the Environmental Protection Agency this agency enforces environmental laws. Alumina has to be aware and comply with the state and federal regulations at all-time or it can affect the business a great deal. Maintaining a positive image in the community is also important when a crisis occurs the support of the community can be a big help in determine issues. The decision mage by Alumina were wise, the company took the right approach to maintain its good name in the community and the competitive market and save cost on litigation. Business Regulation Law When an organization do not comply with the state and federal regulation the company can face fines or become caught up in major litigation, costing the company major expenses. In this memo I will identify common tort and risk found in the organization of Alumina, and describe different measures to manage risk. Some common torts found at Alumina are negligence, defamation/slander/libel, Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), and strict liability is tort liabilities uncovered. Alumina Violation Alumina is an aluminum maker base in the United States and has operation in eight countries. The aluminum maker is on Lake Dira in the state of Erehwon. Alumina is under the jurisdiction of region six under the Environmental Protection Agency. A few years ago Alumina was found in violation with the Environmental Protection Agency for environmental discharge norms in an Environmental Protection Agency compliance evaluation. The PAH levels were above prescribe limits. Alumina was order to clean up the problem in which they complied too quickly. Because of this incident Alumina has maintain a good compliance record. Recently a resident name Kelly Bates claims that Alumina continuous contamination of Lake Dira with pollutants. Bates threatens to file a suit against the company for punitive damages and recovery damages. She believes that the incident that occurred several years ago is the cause of her daughter’s leukemia. Tort Liability A tort is a â€Å"civil wrong that is an interference with someone’s person or property such that an injury results† (Jennings, 2006, p. 367). Torts can be categorized as intentional torts, torts of negligence, and strict liability torts. Intentional torts are those that result in a harm not accidental. Torts of negligence are accidental harms that result from a failure to act appropriately in a given situation. Strict liability torts assign absolute liability and offer very few defenses. Defamation of Character A company or a person reputation is a valuable asset. The tort of defamation of character requires that a plaintiff prove that: the defendant made an untrue statement about the plaintiff or the statement was intentionally published by a third party (Cheeseman, 2010). Written False statements are referred to as libel and verbal statement are referred to as slander. Bates made a libel statement in the newspaper about Alumina and the violation that occurred years ago. This defamation can have a negative effect on the company. Alumina can lose business with a bad reputation and once the reputation has gone sour it is hard to reclaim the good name. Freedom of Information Act A local news reporter and Kelly Bates approached the EPA to obtain environmental audit reports that documented Alumina violation of the Clean Water Act. Bates requested the documents under the Freedom of Information Act; this act was enacted in Congress in 1966 to the American public great access to the Federal Government records (Federal Communication Commission, 2010) . The Company chooses to release partial audit information from the violation from years ago. Alumina has the right to withhold informational this qualifies under the Confidential Business Information, which is available under exemption four of the Freedom of information Act. Strict liability Negligence and Strict liability Negligence, the most common tort, is explained as conduct that falls below standards of behavior established by the law for the protection others against unreasonable risk harm (Cheeseman, 2010). In this case of negligence Bates must prove that Alumina had a duty to keep the PAH levels contained. In a case Alumina breaches that duty by not staying in compliance with the EPA regulation several years ago. Bates assumes that the consumption of the water cause the harm of her daughter to have leukemia. In response Alumina chose to conduct an independent site study for new violations. The reports come back good the PAH levels were well below the standard. After releasing a partial audit report Bates has threaten to file a lawsuit against Alumina of personal injury to recover compensation and punitive damages. Alumina negligent conduct of â€Å"serious violation of environmental laws five years ago is the cause of her daughter leukemia,† alleged by Bates (Business Regulations Simulation, 2010). The best resolution for this situation is mediation by a neutral third party, by choosing this options Alumina can provide Bates with a confidential settlement. The settlement includes that Alumina provides Bates with reimbursement of medical expenses for her daughter treatment a lump sum for future treatments and a college fund set aside if her daughters recovers from the leukemia (Business Regulations Simulation, 2010). Although tort liability is founded on intended harm strict liability is attached even though the defendant has been reasonable. In the Article titled â€Å" The American Influence on Canadian Tort Law† author Allen M. Linden states â€Å" One person may be require to compensate another for injury or damages even though the loss was neither intentionally or negligently inflicted. If Alumina had taken the case to court, the company would have been in a long litigation process costing the company thousands and even millions of dollar. The mediation process is half the cost of a court trial and there is no guarantee that the jury would agree with Alumina even though the company may have had proof that the allegation against the company was false. The jury tends to side with the victims. Preventative, Detective, and Corrective Measures In an organization it will be hard to prevent allegation against the company, but the company needs to prepare for such issues when they arise. A preventative plan should be put into place. The company should make it a priority that the employees of the company aware of the rules and regulations of the state and federal laws. The company should be aware of the competitors who have violated any government regulations and improve their process so that the company will not violate the same regulations as the competition. Health risk that may be exposes to the staff, customers, and other should be included in the document also. Conclusion Alumina has to abide by state and federal rules these laws are in place to improve environmental safety. The agency that regulates Alumina was the Environmental Protection Agency this agency enforces environmental laws. Alumina has to be aware and comply with the state and federal regulations at all-time or it can affect the business a great deal. Maintaining a positive image in the community is also important when a crisis occurs the support of the community can be a big help in determine issues. The decision mage by Alumina were wise, the company took the right approach to maintain its good name in the community and the competitive market and save cost on litigation.

How does leisure activity effect the elderly Research Paper

How does leisure activity effect the elderly - Research Paper Example In addition, it is indispensable for them to engage in physical exercises that keep their body fit and healthier. Due to their little capacity to cope with many stressful moments and issues, Sirven & Malamut (2008) argued that it is critical for the elderly to engage in leisure activities that would help them overcome some of these challenges. With many challenges facing people in the contemporary world, people get old when they have a burden of many issues revolving their health and economic problems. For instance, most people have got bad eating habits during their youth age. Gibson & Singleton (2012) noted that this is attributable to the lifestyle the youth engage in. First, with many hustles in the event of trying to earn a living, they lack time to consider preparing healthy foods. That is why most of them consume fast foods that have been associated with different health complications including obesity, high blood pressure among others. Therefore, when they reach old age, they are weak and can easily be affected by little stressful moments. Secondly, lack of knowledge affects people’s way of life. With the lack of the knowledge of the consequences of eating unhealthy food causes detrimental harm to people (Bonder & Haas, 2009). Youth struggle and become workaholic. They have little time to take part in physical exercise. Therefore, during their old age, they become weak and are easily affected by different health conditions. The most common challenge is the issue of health to the elderly. Studies have documented that around 70 percent of the elderly have different health problems (Sirven & Malamut, 2008). Very few of this number have knowledge on how they can mitigate these challenges. Even those that do have, their health condition are worse and may not be able to carry out some physical activities that would help them overcome some

Safety Tents and Other Non Permanant Buildings Essay

Safety Tents and Other Non Permanant Buildings - Essay Example These shelters take numerous forms, including a traditional tentlike structure. One of the main advantages of these protective structures is that they are incredibly strong in relation to the weight of their components. Therefore, they can be rapidly deployed by two to four people. Kevlar’s superiority stems from its minimal â€Å"vibration transfer† (Kayak Terapad). It can be molded and shaped, yet maintains its structural integrity. Therefore, it enhances the user’s safety in numerous stress and impact scenarios. One of the military uses for such shelters is the Chemical Biological Protected Shelter System (CBPSS) (Business Wire 1997). They are intended for battlefield use against biological or chemical weapons assault. A company called Chemfab has developed the Kevlar-based fabric. The shelter also reduces lingering air contamination following a chemical or ballistic explosion. Homeland Security is using such a device in dirty bomb control. This variation is called a Universal Containment System, and it was developed by Vanguard Response Sytems in Canada (Popular Mechanics 2004). The ballistic resistant tent contains a foam that suppresses the detonation blast. At present, the system can only suppress a bomb the size of a book bag. The technology will be developed to contain a truck bomb, like the one deployed at the World Trade Center in 1993. A similar application is called the Chemical Biological Explosives Containment System (CBECS). It consists of a seven foot inflatable tent that contains a water-based foam, which not only contains the explosion, but it also puts out any chemically-based fires that may ignite (Patent Storm 2007). The whole structure can cover an explosive device, which is then deployed relatively safely (DOD Tech Match). These tents are now being made for the general public by Zumro, Inc. The Chemical/Biological Counterterrorism

Marketing Models Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Marketing Models - Essay Example These are responding to customer needs which will drive company success. Electronic marketing and technology will enable us to relate to the classics. Riley (2012) notes that cheaper and faster will allow businesses to execute strategies that would be impossible before. Consumer wants are constantly changing faster in the 21st century compared to past years. This is due to easy access to products through internet, electronic and print media. Industries are flooded with same products hence customers should to be aware of your business and what it offers. Consumer awareness can be fully achieved through marketing. So as a business person, one must always be focusing into the future. Most Small Micro Enterprises always sideline marketing citing expenses. Small businesses operate mostly on no-frills thus view marketing as expensive. Question that arises is how in absence of marketing one suggests to acquire the much wanted client base that affect sales. Many businesses are in operation and competition cut throat in the 21st century due to improved innovation. Without effective marketing of products, brand Image Company’s are deemed to fail in the start up stages, Riley (2012) Marketing campaign decisions must be drawn to sway sales and consumers. Generally a business could swap sales team size, price and advertisement budget. Marketing process invloves situational analysis, marketing strategy, market mix decision and implementation and control. Because the product already exists in the market and at its maturity stage, the market mix process would be applicable. Several tools are used by marketers to create the desired feedback from target consumers. These set of tools are called marketing mix. At the market mix level, planned decisions are drawn for controllable indicators. The most applicable indicator for the product is product promotional assessment. The main marketing

Answers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Answers - Essay Example way of learning people from different perspectives; thus, it could also be used in nursing perspectives as they get to know more about their patients. According to the grounded theory, ethnographic enquiry is fit to the reality. It involves every day activities which are geared towards positively influencing human life. In making this a strong point, the theory is gathered from wide and diverse area of data. The nursing profession experiences a large inflow of patients, which can be used as a data source (Polit 21). Secondly, the theory has relevance, especially to human life. It is relevant because it helps in finding out core problems and how they can be solved. If the problems are not uncovered, then it will not be easy to find an amicable solution. Lastly, the theories under study have been known to work. Studying these theories has developed various ways of solving situations surrounding human life. In phenomenological view, the inquiry is based on reality in human aspects. The data is collected from real people for study in the stated areas. Similarly, the events and objects of study are fully understood by these

Knowledge and Skills Core to Journalism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

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ADHD Facts and Myths Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

ADHD Facts and Myths - Research Paper Example A larger proportion of the findings categorizes the aspects of ADHP as of inattention category and the remaining claims the presence of hyperactivity-impulsivity in the behavior a child. A number of symptoms are identified from the basic reflective features for the easy identification of the child’s conducts that basically result the inferior learning process and overall behavioral disorder that distinguishes an ADHD affected child from his peer equals. Ever since the researches began, there have been many assumptions and findings about the reasons and consequences of ADHD; however, most of such conflicting opinions have greatly contributed in having the studies a myths-and-facts image. Diagnosis for the ADHD is no easy after the child grows older, because the significance of the preexisting disorders may not be exhibited in its routine activities related to study, work or relationships. Many scientists and psychologists are of the view that the issue that runs through the fam ily which develops in the later stages of brain development. Since it is the most largely identified disorder in child behavior, researchers have explored the causes and risk factors involved in AHDH and assessed that a number of problems like depression, insomnia and learning impairments as part of it. They suggest that an early consultation with a doctor for ADHS suspected children for their rescue from further development of behavioral and health issues that may seriously damage the personality of the child in the future. Some studies say that â€Å"the adolescent and adult populations with ADHD also demonstrate significantly different profiles from those of their normally achieving peers† (Gregg & Deshler, 23).† The symptoms present in the suspected cases are mainly the visible comprehensive disorder, laziness in learning, severe impatience in the classroom, higher level demonstration of energy while playing, constant nature of interrupting the speech etc. Although this problem is easily ignored by the teachers and parents as a stage of growth, many teenagers feel depressed during the period of abstinence from attentiveness of their respective listeners of their ideas. Observers are of the opinion that â€Å"it is very important for adolescent to feel that they have been listened to and understood and that their opinions have been taken seriously, because in the past their ideas may have often been discounted by adults† (Robin, 506). There are several tests for identifying the affected cases. The American Academy of Pediatricians (AAP) has advised that the children below 7 years of age be observed with the indicative symptoms for over six months and for the older children, parent-teacher interviews, IQ and psychological testing and other forms of competitive mental and developmental examinations (â€Å"Attention deficit hyperactivity..) Though this problem can be addressed and managed with medication and behavior therapy by experts in this field. From the parental angle, the child should be guaranteed enough sleep and praise for good behavior. Experts warn that any negligence in treating the ADHD affected children may take them to a more complicated life style in the future such as alcoholism, academic failure, inconsistent job preferences and acute disgust towards the law. Moreover, the height of degree of impulsive behavior may cause them severe damage in the peer relationship. There has been a lot of conflicting information developed from the evaluation of such identified issues of ADHD related problems. The factors contributing to such an intellectual debate

Forensic Botany Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Forensic Botany - Essay Example There are issues of specificity, profile complexity, and reproducibility that lead to the rejection of botanical evidence in courts. Moreover, a higher number of samples, translating to the urgency for analysis to yield quality and quantity have often yielded poor DNA making analysis less effective (Hall, Byrd, & Wiley InterScience, 2012). These factors usually introduce new challenges in the identification of evidence in forensic botany. Scientists have identified the fact that most of the evidence comes in mixed proportions, complicating the analysis process. Therefore, this heightens the need to develop techniques that have the potential of sorting out the mixed samples to present specific evidence. Such effective methods will help investigators rely on botanical evidence that is subject to being discarded in the current days. The development of numerous techniques used in DNA profiling has served to lay a hope for the possibility of better approaches of identification that yield evidence that is dependable in courts. Apparently, an effective DNA analysis technique for use in forensic botany must meet certain requirements. The approach must have the potential of establishing distinct differences between individual species irrespective of a high correlation. Moreover, it should have the capacity to handle robust amounts of samples (Bock, & Norris, 2008). An additional requirement of immense criticality is the fact that the technique must exhibit the potential of positively analyzing degraded plant materials. Although scientists have made progress in developing tools with the capacity to satisfy the above described requirements, only a few of the developed techniques have the potential of meeting all the... The development of numerous techniques used in DNA profiling has served to lay a hope for the possibility of better approaches to identification that yield evidence that is dependable in courts. Apparently, an effective DNA analysis technique for use in forensic botany must meet certain requirements. The approach must have the potential of establishing distinct differences between individual species irrespective of a high correlation. Moreover, it should have the capacity to handle robust amounts of samples. An additional requirement of immense criticality is the fact that the technique must exhibit the potential of positively analyzing degraded plant materials. Although scientists have made progress in developing tools with the capacity to satisfy the above-described requirements, only a few of the developed techniques have the potential of meeting all the requirements. However, the short tandem repeats (STRs) and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs). Moreover, bar coding has emer ged for better analysis in the future.Specialists are usually very keen in making sure that collection of samples follows a standard procedure. The collection is a critical step because the seizure of the samples of interest occurs at this point. Prior to the collection of the intended samples, there is a need for a specialist to embark on an effective recognition procedure, before collection of the sample accurate recognition serves as the initial step in the dependence of forensic botany in identifying any sort of crime.

Education on health promotion Essay Example for Free

Education on health promotion Essay

Understanding the affordable care act Essay Example for Free

Understanding the affordable care act Essay Understanding the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act(PPACA or ACA) can be difficult but it is not as confusing as it may seem. This paper will highlight some of the provisions that have already been implemented and will discuss how it affects me, healthcare workers, and the citizens of Arkansas. There are two provisions I will discuss that went into effect on January 1, 2011. One is known as the Medical-Loss Ratio(MLR) and the other is a policy focused on Bringing down healthcare premiums. The MLR policy will put an end to insurance companies being able to raise rates without explaining their actions, or justifying the reason for their high premiums. The policy aims to bring transparency to the healthcare rate changes by requiring â€Å"that all insurers seeking rate increases of 10% or more in the individual or small group market publicly disclose the proposed increases and the justification for them†. (Insurance Rate Increases, Posted: December 21, 2010, para. 4) These proposed increases will be analyzed further by the affected state before approval to determine if they are in fact reasonable. The ACA provides funding to states in order to strengthen or create rate review processes and consumers will be provided with detailed information on proposed increases from their insurance provider. The other significant policy made effective at the same time is one that will bring down the cost of insurance premiums. Under this provision, insurers must spend 80% (for individual or small group insurers) or 85% (for large group insurers) of premium dollars on health costs and claims, leaving only 20% or 15% respectively for adminis trative costs and profits. If an insurer fails to meet this requirement, there is no penalty, but a rebate must be issued to the policy holder. (Key Features of the ACA, n.d.) This affects me by protecting me from unreasonable rate increases. As I get older, I make more frequent visits to a healthcare provider for both acute and chronic illness. The costs add up quickly and with a limited source of income, anything that I can save helps greatly. A common feeling among insurance holders is that we are paying for something that we never use so the idea of a rebate for overpayment of premiums will be welcomed by all. There is one provision that became effective on September 23, 2010 that was a relief to my family in a time of despair. My mother underwent many procedures and surgeries in the last few years of her life and we were concerned about limits on annual or lifetime coverage placed on her by the insurance company. Under the law, insurance companies are prohibited from imposing lifetime dollar limits on essential benefits, and their use of annual dollar limits on the amount of insurance coverage a patient may receive will be restricted. Her medical bills were significant, but we never had to worry about her coverage expiring. The American Nurses Association has fighting for health care reform for many years. By doing so, the ANA is promoting our core value of patient advocacy. We have been taught that we should represent our patients’ best interests in regards to healthcare at all times. So supporting measures that will allow for more affordable healthcare, is what nurses should do. The ANA has been working to ensure that RNs are â€Å"fully included as leaders and eligible health care providers in new, patient-centered, team-based models of care, and accountable care organizations. ANA continues to urge federal agencies to include advanced practice registered nurses as primary care providers, and for nurse-managed clinics to qualify as essential community providers.† (Still The Law, August 2012, para. 7) Arkansas has put much effort into forming our Health Insurance Benefits Exchange, called the Arkansas Health Connector. It is a program through which our more than 500,000 uninsured Arkansas can shop for affordable health insurance. The plans are required to offer 10 essen tial services. Some of which include prescription drugs, emergency and hospital care, doctor visits, maternity and mental health services, rehabilitation and lab services. â€Å"The Arkansas insurance Department(AID) has been awarded a one year, $1 million planning grant from the United States Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight CCIIO) to assist with studying options for development of the best possible Insurance Exchange for Arkansans.† (Planning for HBE, n.d., para. 2) This Arkansas Health Connector makes it easier for uninsured individuals to shop for comparable and affordable health plans. The requirements placed on these plans are also greatly needed in order to provide complete healthcare and prevent future healthcare related costs. The only cons that I will mention are that not enough people know about the availability of this program and that if people do not already know, they will found out rather abruptly when they are assessed a $95 penalty on their filed income tax return. The ACA  outlines plans to reduce episodic based care and increase population(community) base d care. The idea is to provide a higher value of healthcare instead of volume, while reducing readmissions for nosocomial infections, preventable diseases, or complications from chronic conditions and illnesses. By implementing community based programs to promote healthcare, we can reduce healthcare costs and help patients live healthier lives with reducing the risks of significant and recurring medical problems as well as their associated costs. Regardless of arguments against the ACA, the most important aspect is that it helps Americans to become and remain healthier people. It teaches our next generation to value healthcare, and to take an active role in being healthier adults. The ACA will affect me professionally as well as personally. Another provision of the ACA provides for the increase of payments for rural healthcare providers. The majority of communities who are most in need of higher quality and more affordable healthcare, are located in the rural areas of our country. These communities often have trouble attracting and retaining medical professionals. My wife is also a nursing student, and we live in a rural area, so we plan to take advantage of these incentives to provide a hig her standard of healthcare to those in need. A similar provision worth mentioning calls for the rebuilding of the primary care workforce. In order to strengthen the availability and quality of healthcare, there has been increased funding for scholarships and loan repayments for primary care physicians and nurses working in underserved areas, as well as tax free student loan payments for these health professionals. (Key Features of the ACA, n.d.) Again this affects my wife and I directly through scholarship opportunities and reduced financial burden after we graduate. Also affecting me is the increase in the number of patients seeking healthcare due to more people have health insurance. This will increase the demand for both registered and advanced practice nurses in episodic based care as well as in the community. Our role as an educator will be more important than ever when teaching patients who have never had affordable health care. There are many arguments against this legislation, but as an aspiring nurse, I have yet to fin d one that suggests ACA is not the best option we have for making a healthier future for America. References Affordable care act is still the law. (August 2012). Retrieved from http://www.theamericannurse.org/index.php/2012/08/06/affordable-care-act-is-still-the-law/ Key features of the affordable care act by year. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.hhs.gov/healthcare/facts/timeline/timeline-text.html#2010 Planning for the arkansas health benefits exchange. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://hbe.arkansas.gov/Planning.pdf Shining a light on health insurance rate increases. (Posted: December 21, 2010). Retrieved from https://www.cms.gov/CCIIO/Resources/Fact-Sheets-and-FAQs/ratereview.html

A Jetstar Asia Airways Marketing Audit Tourism Essay

A Jetstar Asia Airways Marketing Audit Tourism Essay 1. Introduction Jetstar Asia Airways is a low-cost budget airline operating in the South East Asian region. Its mother company Australias Qantas Airways found it in 2003. Unlike Jetstar in Australia, Jetstar Asia is majority Singapore in which a Singapore investment company, Temasek Holdings Limited holds 19 per cent of shares, two Singaporean businesspersons possess 32 percent, and the remaining 49 per cent of shares belongs to Qantas Group. The company is known as an airline to offer low fares, all day and every day to South East Asia customers. It has received several valuable awards, such as Best Brand Experience for Low Cost Carrier (2006), Best Low Cost Airline, Southeast Asia and Asia (2006, 2008), Top 10 Airlines by Passenger Carriage (2006, 2007), Best Asian Low-Cost Carrier (2006, 2007). The first Jetstar Asia Airways flight took off for Hong Kong on December 13, 2004. Jetstar Asia and Valuair Airways Limited were merged on July 22, 2005 (Jetstar, nd). With a fleet of seven A320 aircrafts, Jetstar Asia now offers up to 126 weekly flights from Singapore to 17 destinations in ten Asian countries. It is planning to increase capacity by more three A320 aircrafts by early next year and add destinations in India and China. This marketing study aims to provide the Jetstar Asia Airways current marketing environment. It will use primary data and secondary data and analyse SWOT and PESTEL to make clearly internal and external marketing environment. Primary data is survey of 50 people who are concerning budget airline. Secondary data is used from books, journals and websites. The report also discuss about the current market plan of Jetstar Asia Airways. From the audit process, recommendations will come out for improving Jetstar Asia Airways marketing performance in existing competitive aviation environment. 2. Background Today, global aviation industry has been divided into three major categories (Lelieur, 2003). The first category consists of large network carriers, such as United Airlines, American Airlines, and Delta in the United States; Air France, British Airway, Lufthansa in Europe. The second one is the middle size carriers such as KLM and SAS in Europe. The final category is the low cost carriers, such as Jet Blue, Westjet in North America; Virgin Blue and Australian Airlines in Australia; Ryanair, EasyJet, and Air Berlin in Europe; Air Asia, Oasis Hong Kong Airline, Jetsatr Asia Airway, and Tiger Airway in Asia Pacific. According to Weiss (2008, p.84), Low-cost carriers, also known as a no frills or discount airlines, offers low fares in exchange for eliminating many traditional passengers services. These airlines have a lower cost structures than competitors. They often operate a single passenger class and fleet, reducing training and servicing costs. In recent years, the low-cost carriers (LLCs) phenomenon has become more popular in aviation industry. The low cost airline business has experienced surprising growth in term of passengers carried and aircraft ordered. LLCs are likely to keep their price down thoroughly online booking as well as providing the minimum level of onboard services. They can be seen as a new big success in the world airline industry. According to OAGs Quarterly Airline Traffic Statistics (2007), low cost international flights have increased 20% year by year. Asia Pacific witnessed a dramatic growth in low cost sector, with an increase from 3,900 flights and 600,000 seats in 2001 to 61,000 flights and 9.2 million seats in 2007 (Abacus, 2008). The Asia Pacific low cost market now has accounted for 12% of all flights and all seats. Many Asian countries such as Singapore, Malaysia, India has opened up LCCs to attractive a large number of passengers. As an affirmation about Jetstar Airways prospect, Geoff Dixon , CEO of Qantas Airways Ltd said: Were very confident about the timing of the launch of this airline. I dont know where other airlines will end up but I can assure you Jetstar Asia will be around in four years time and will be profitable, so Temasek and our other investors can be confident. (2004). Jetstar Asia has announced its revenue increases 20% for the year ended 31 March 2008 (Jetstar, nd). These proves that low fares has become attract more travellers. The expectation of Jetstar Asia Airways about the worlds largest potential aviation market is coming true. 3. External analysis 3.1. The micro-environment 3.1.1 Description of the market (i) The world aviation market According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the worlds airlines are expected to lose US$2.5 billion in 2009. Industry revenues are expected to decline to US$501 billion. This a fall of US$35 billion from the US$536 billion in revenues forecasted for 2008. This drop in revenues is caused by the economic crisis and the outbreak of the H1N1 epidemic. These aspects affect to the psychology of the travelers. Yields will decline by 3.0 percent (5.3 percent when adjusted for exchange rates and inflation). Passenger traffic is expected to decline by 3 percent following growth of 2 percent in 2008. This is the first decline in passenger traffic since the 2.7 percent drop in 2001. Industry profits, US$ billion 2006 2007 2008F 2009F 2006 2007 2008F 2009F Operating profits Net profits Global 15.0 19.7 1.1 3.9 -0.1 12.9 -5.0 -2.5 excluding restructuring costs 3.6 12.9 -5.0 -2.5 Regions North America 7.3 9.3 -0.3 3.6 -2.6 5.3 -3.9 0.3 excluding restructuring costs 1.0 5.3 -3.9 0.3 Europe 5.2 6.4 1.5 0.7 1.8 5.4 -0.1 -1.0 Asia-Pacific 1.8 3.5 -0.1 -0.6 0.9 2.1 -0.5 -1.1 Middle East 0.0 0.0 -0.1 0.0 -0.1 -0.1 -0.1 -0.2 Latin America 0.5 0.4 0.1 0.1 0.1 0.1 -0.1 -0.2 Africa 0.1 0.1 0.0 0.0 -0.2 0.1 -0.3 -0.3 Source: ICAO data to 2007. IATA 2008-09 forecasts. Excludes fresh-start items. Asia-Pacific is the region most decreased in the aviation yield with the drop is forecast about US$1.1 billion As this report demonstrates, the annual average growth rates of aviation in Asia-Pacific drop dramatically form 7.5% in 2006 to -2.5% in 2009 (forecast). All these information are uncomforted to the airline firm in the Asia-Pacific area. It is probably because the aviation market shrank in the future. Annual average growth rates, % 2006 2007 2008F 2009F 2006 2007 2008F 2009F Traffic volume (tkp) Capacity (atk) Global 5.3 5.3 0.9 -3.6 4.1 5.0 2.0 -2.5 Regions North America 2.7 3.5 -1.3 -4.8 0.5 3.2 -0.1 -5.7 Europe 4.9 2.1 1.1 -3.6 3.9 3.5 1.7 -2.5 Asia-Pacific 7.5 7.8 0.6 -2.5 6.7 6.9 2.3 -0.5 Middle East 11.8 16.4 7.6 1.2 12.6 14.5 7.4 4.9 Latin America -3.4 9.9 1.5 -4.1 1.6 6.9 3.4 -0.2 Africa 7.0 4.5 -1.9 -3.6 1.8 5.8 -3.4 -2.5 Source: ICAO data to 2007. IATA 2008-09 forecasts. Domestic and international traffic. Includes passenger and cargo by weight. (ii) Jestar Asia Airways market Jetstar Asia Airways operates as a low-cost airliner in South-East Asia. In a recent report, the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA) predicts that low-à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ½cost carrier will see increased demand in terms of both traffic-growth à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ½and earnings this year, compared to traditional airlines.à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ½ Stormy conditions in 2008 have already helped the low-cost segment gain a à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ½larger share of global aviation, according to the CAPA report. Now predicted à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ½tougher economic conditions and lower fuel prices will give the sector a major à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ½advantage in 2009. (Sharjah, 2009) According to Adel Ali, Chief Executive Officer of Air Arabia, the low cost model is uniquely attractive in these challenging economic times. According to Chief executive officer of Jetstar Asia Airways, Chong Phit Lian, the low-cost carrier is currently filling about 70 per cent of seats, compared with about 60 per cent last year. In the dark time of the economic crisis, this is the good sign for the low cost budget airline like Jetstar Asia. 3.1.2 Competitors analysis Operating in the low cost airline market in the tendency of almost of airline firm extend the low cost field brings to Jetstar Asia many competitors. Examine in the aspect of low cost airline field and operation area, Jetstar Asia has three main competitors: Tiger Airway, Lion Air, and AirAsia. Tiger Airway (Singapore): Fleet size: 10 Destinations: 27 Parent company: Tiger Aviation Company slogan: Get The Real Deal Headquarters: Singapore Tiger Airways is a low-cost airline based in Singapore, with its primary hub at Singapore Changi Airport. This is the main competitor of Jetstar. While Jetstar Asia was not very successful in the market, Tiger Airways with its strong business model had managed to make an impact in the highly competitive low-cost market. Tiger Airways mostly served secondary cities. This helped it challenge the markets, which are ignored by the major carriers. In addition, Tiger Airways followed a strict no-frills model to offer the lowest fares possible to its passengers Strengths Weaknesses Low cost operations Good position in customers mind Internet booking and e-payment Focuses on secondary city Intelligent strategic Fast development High reputation (win many awards for the low cost airline) Service resource is limited by lower costs Heavy reliance on outsourcing New entrants to provide the price-sensitive service Customer complaint Lack of destination Small fleet Lion air Fleet size: 42 Destinations: 40 Company slogan: We make people fly Headquarters: Jakarta, Indonesia Lion Air is Indonesias largest private carrier and Asias first hybrid carrier, which offers both economy and business class seating, based in Jakarta, Indonesia. Strengths Weaknesses Low cost operations Diversity of destination Huge of fleet size Maintain free meal despite the low cost. Service resource is limited by lower costs Heavy reliance on outsourcing New entrants to provide the price-sensitive service Do not have e-payment. AirAsia Fleet size: 75 Destinations: 66 Company slogan: Now Everyone Can Fly Headquarters: Kuala Lumpur. AirAsia is a low-cost airline based in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It operates scheduled domestic and international flights and is Asias largest low fare, no frills airline. Strengths Weaknesses Low cost operations Fewer management level, effective, focused and aggressive management Simple proven business model that consistently delivers that lowest fares Penetrate and stimulate to potential markets Multi-skilled staffs means efficient and incentive workforce Huge fleet size provide many destination Have 3 secondary hubs Internet booking and e-payment Service resource is limited by lower costs Government interference and regulation on airport deals and passenger compensation Brand is vital for market position only fixed with asia Heavy reliance on outsourcing New entrants to provide the price-sensitive service Generally compare between Jetstar Asia and three main competitors we can recognize that Tiger Airway is the direct competitor and now is leading the low cost carrier in the South East Asia aviation market. However, recently, Tiger Airway has to face with some problems form the customers (Mathaba, 2009, Singsuply, 2009) because of their bad service. With the supply from the parent company, Qantas Airline, this is the time for Jetstar to challenge Tiger Airway. 3.2. The macro-environment: PEST analysis PEST analysis is a common tool for analysing an organisations macro-environment to identify those factors that might increase the potential for crisis. (Elliott, Swartz and Herbane, 2002). These include political, economic, social and technological factors and the analysis examines the impact of each of them on the business. 3.2.1 Political environment Singapore now is as a political stability nation. It has become the prosperous nation with a widespread network of trading links. So far, Singapore political stability has leaded to a high rate of economic growth. As one of Asia most stable economics, many Singapore companies have developed well. Singapore economic has been developing services industries such as wealth management and tourism, aviation industry. Singaporean airline industry plays a key role in Singaporean economy. It now includes mainstream Singapore Airlines and two low cost airlines Tiger Airways and Jetstar Asia Airways. However, September 11th terrorist attack event in United States caused significant falling in travelling. Besides, the political instability in South East Asia region, such as Thailand, Indonesia, and Malaysia influenced negatively on aviation industry in Asia areas. 3.2.2 Economic environment The economic environment consists of factors that affect consumer purchasing power and spending patterns.(Kotler and Armstrong, 2009, p103). These following analyses will show how economic factors have an effect on aviation industry. In recent years, global economic crisis has pushed the trade-service dependent countries into worst recession. The world travel market has also been affected in this crisis. According to International Air Transport Association, due to economic recession, the global passenger traffic will decrease by 3% in 2009 and not growing above 4% until 2011 (IATA, 2008). Another major factor effects strongly on airline market, especially budget airlines, that is the increase in fuel price. From 2004, the oil price surge was a result of three main factors: increased demand, a small global excess of production capability, and the fear of supply disruption. The fuel cost increase caused of 36% rising of airline operating costs in 2008. The deadly combination of falling demand and high oil prices made a plunge of aviation industrys profitability, approximately losses of US$10.4 billion in 2008. At the same year, Asia Pacific airline industry incurred losses US$ 300 million (IATA, 2009). 3.2.3 Social environment Trends in social factors are significant component of the PEST analysis for airline industry. Firstly, some factors such as advanced medical provisions and low ratio at birth have allowed people to live longer. The average age of the population has been increasing steadily. Thus, the products that airlines offer concerning to older and disabled passengers who need help at airports. Besides, traditional family structure has been changing in today modern society. The increase of divorce rate as well as number of single-parent family has become contemporary trend that travel industry has to do to accommodate. They can be promotional and product planning policies, which offer to those who are singles or one-parent family. Furthermore, the changes in the job market have impacts for airline marketing policies. Due to work pressures, executives often have to make a day-return trip instead of two days. This has become more important for short-haul markets. 3.2.4 Technological environment As an advanced technology, Internet now plays an important role in airlines industry. All airlines have websites that allow customers to book air ticket online. In making reservation, customers can also select their seat. Utilization of internet in aviation industry brings benefits for both airlines and passengers based on cost saving. With PEST analysis as above, marketing environment of Jetstar Asia Airways has just evaluated to consider how the company operates in the todays changing environment. 4. Internal analysis 4.1. Segmentation Target Positioning 4.1.1 Market segmentation Jetstar has based on various variables to consider: Geographic segmentation: Jetstar offers flight to various destinations, such as Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Phnom Penh, Siem Reap, Singapore, Taipei, and Yangon. (Jetstar, 2009) Demographic segmentation: Jestar focuses on low-income customers, who want to travel to other countries for purpose visiting, business or studying. This segment is majority of the regularly travel by air and Jetstar can get a profitability significant through a pricing strategy efficiently to retain loyal passengers and attract new customers. Behavioral segmentation: Jetstar applies many promotion prices on special occasions to attract customers and Jestar calculates the number of passenger in seasons. Especially, in summer occasions, Christmas and Happy New Year holidays, passengers have a lot of free time so that many people go travelling or come back their home. Psychographic Segmentation: Passengers are willing spend much time to care about low-price and safety airline where they will go. Besides standard ticket price, Jetstar gives a lot of options ticket so that customers can be a flexible choice to reduce price, for examples: food, insurance, baggage, etc. 4.1.2 Targets Among many competitions, Jetstar knows that they need to get a flexible strategy to achieve success and have a service closely with the highest customer satisfactions. Jetstar has many various target markets such as low fares, expand destinations, and increase flight frequencies, minimize operation costs, focused on customer services, optimize revenue and develop new revenue streams. Furthermore, Jetstar has a marketing strategy well through mass media and telecommunication systems such as internet, television, newspaper, etc. Besides, Jetstar invests in brand name to become a strong brand. 4.1.3 Position Jetstar is a low-price carrier in the world. Jetstar has become a favorite brand with low fare, low operation cost, high safety, servicing well and friendly in loyal customer in the world. However, to retain customers mind, Jetstar has to face many completions carriers such as Lion air, AsiaAir, Tiger airways, etc through a flexible and lowest-price strategy. 4.2 Marketing plan 4.2.1 Product The product is the most important aspect of the marketing mix. The product strategies made by Jetstar Asia Airways are mainly aimed to reduce costs so that the company can provide low fares to customers, because in the downturn the number of people who prefer low-cost carriers is increasing. Firstly, Jetstar Asia only launches routes whose flying distance are within five hours from Singapore, such as Hong Kong, Taipei, Bangkok, etc (Jetstar, nd). Because flying close, aircraft can return to base in one day. It can help to save many costs, including expenses of aircraft staying at foreign airports and expenditures spending on accommodation for crew, etc. Secondly, the fleet of Jetstar Asia is consisted of only Airbus A320 aircraft (Jetstar, nd). The reason is that a single model aircraft can make training, maintenance and repair costs greatly reduce. Personnel, including pilots, mechanics and cabin crew can be deployed optionally without re-training, thus the company eliminates the deployment center and in-flight configuration can be exactly same. Finally, since Jetstar Asia is a low-cost carrier, no free food and beverages are provided. Passengers may purchase food and beverages on board from the cabin crew. Jetstar Asia cancels free meal service in order to reduce the costs on expensive catering equipment and save the time on cleaning the aircraft. In this way, aircraft need less time to stay at airports; it reduces landing fees and even the company is able to add one more flight because of the time saved. 4.2.2 Promotion Once the product has been made and the price set, it is important that potential customers be told about the product. Promotion can also be used for reassuring the consumer that the product is of good quality and persuading them to purchase the product (Kotler and Armstrong, 2009). In order to make customers convenient to obtain detail information about Jetstar Asia Airways, including price of tickets, schedule of flights, new services and routes, etc; the company uses its website to broadcast all the kinds of latest information. In recent month, it can be found that Jetstar Asia shows a new advertisement on television. It describes a travel story of a girl. In the advertisement, the girl took trips to lots of resorts such as Bangkok, Bali, etc and all these resorts are the place where Jetstar Asias flights can access. Although advertising on television cost the company millions of dollars, Jetstar Asia still confirms they can get benefits from the advertisement because it really attracts the public deeply. Jetstar Asia believes that it will encourage people to choose Jetstar Asias flights for travelling. Moreover, the company also provides tickets, which are in promotion to customers. For example, Jetstar Asia launched 44,444 free seats promotion on flights between Singapore and 11 of its destinations in its 4th birthday celebration (asiatraveltips, 2008). 4.2.3 Pricing It is very important that the reasonable price is charged for a product. The major of low-cost carriers is providing low price tickets to attract more customers. Jetstar Asia sets a low price to increase sales and market share. The company consistently strives to offer the most competitive ticket price to customers. For example, the passengers who take Jetstar Asias flights can expect to pay as low as a quarter of the current price for return tickets and sometimes it even suggests free of charge flights to certain destinations. The company also operates at budget terminals and secondary airports in order to cut costs as much as possible. Pricing strategies help Jetstar Asia become one of the biggest low-cost carriers in Asia. 4.2.4 Place Place decides where the product is to be sold. Compared with mainstream airlines, it is not necessary for low-cost carriers to have more channels to sell their seat; because more channels means it will cost more money. So almost all of flights are booked directly at Jetstar Asias website, while only a few come from the travel agencies. This online marketing model helps to reduce operating costs. Jetstar Asia does not set up ticket centers and related equipments, so there are no printed tickets for customers. It can cut expenditures on printing and distribution of paper tickets. 4.2.5 Expansion strategies Besides the four Ps strategies, Jetstar Asia also puts emphasize on the expansion strategies. Jetstar Asia Airways is planning to boost its fleet and operation as well as the company strives to expand into new routes. In the coming 12 months, Jetstar Asia Airways has a plan to grow its existing capacity from Singapore by 46% by adding three more Airbus A320 aircraft (Govindasamy, 2009). The new planes will be used for new routes or expansion. Besides extending the fleet, Jetstart Asia has announced new services between Singapore Phuket, and additional Singapore Manila flights. The company will have scheduled flights to fly directly into mainland China with the launch of Haikou, from where travellers can easily access the resort town of Sanya. It is the first mainland China destination of Jetstar Asia (etravelblackboard, 2009). Extending the service to mainland China were part of the carriers next strategic stage to build its low fare services across Southeast Asia under the Jetstar brand. This plan has also benefited from cutting unprofitable routes in South-east Asia, where competition is increasing with AirAsia and Tiger Airways. Recently, Jetstar has announced that it will double daily A320 Singapore-Phuket services to Thailands holiday resort center from 15th December. Beginning form 25th October, the existing daily Singapore-Manila will also increase by an additional three weekly services to a total 10 weekly return flights. On June 7, 2009, Jetstar Asia Airways launched a daily direct service to Penang in northern Malaysia, marking its 17th destination from Singapore and the fourth Malaysian city. With the new route, Jetstars weekly flights between Singapore and Malaysia would increase to 88. Jetstar also operates to Kuala Lumpur three times daily, Kuching in Sarawak state daily and Kota Kinabalu in Sabah state four times weekly from Singapore. From October 1, 2009, Jetstar services on the Singapore-Penang route would be expanded to twice a day, or 14 times, weekly services (BusinessWeek 2009). Jetstar Asia also plans to launch new route to India. With those recently activities, Jetstar has noticeably expended its market share in the low cost segment. Jetstar Asia says that after the growth of its aircraft capacity, the company will definitely launch more routes and ensure more travellers who will benefit from low fares of Jetstar Asia Airways (Businessweek, 2009). 5. SWOT analysis A SWOT analysis is an in-depth examination of key factors that are internal (strengths and weaknesses) and external (opportunities and threats) to a business (Pinson, 2008, p.33). SWOT analysis helps a business to concentrate on those areas that present the greatest opportunities and those competencies in which it is strongest. That business look into ways to diminish its weaknesses, develop strategies to defeat threats. The following analysis focuses on Jetstar Asias SWOT. SWOT ANALYSIS OF JETSTAR ASIA AIRWAYS Internal Strengths Weaknesses Flexible ticket price structure Growth in market share One type of aircraft Performance Narrow flight-destinations. Limited fleet. External Opportunities Threats Strengthen competitive capability. Increase in short-haul travelling. Growth in Singapore tourism Increase of fuel price Unpredictable disaster factors Swine flu spread. 5.1 Strengths Flexible ticket price structure: Jetstar Asia Airways has applied flexible ticket price structure that allows customers can choose any kind of ticket, depending on customers demand. Customers can purchase which ticket with or without luggage. By this application, Jetstar Asia Airways desires to meet customers diversified demands. Growth in market share: The Company is going to launch its first service into China on December 16, 2009 (BusinessWeek, 2009). After that, it will offer new destination in India. Moreover, with three additional A320 aircrafts, it will expand its current capacity by 46 per cent by launching twice daily services on the Singapore-Phuket route. One type of aircraft: Thanks to exploiting one type of aircraft Airbus A320- Jetstar Asia Airways can save cost of fuel consumption, cost of maintaining other aircrafts and reduce cost of staff training, leading to lower operation cost. As a result, Jetstar Asia Airways can make up competitive advantage to lure more customers by offering low- ticket price. Performance: One of the most important factors affecting customers choice in airline industry is on-time performance. Understand this; Jetstar has used the computerised Aircraft Communication Addressing and Reporting System (ACARS) to assure the accuracy of departure time and arrival time. In 2008 and 2009, Jetstars on-time performance always achieved from 92% to 98% (Jetstar, nd). 5.2 Weaknesses Narrow flight destinations: So far, Jetstar Asia Airways has just exploited its aeronautic routes to 17 destinations across 10 countries in Asia Pacific (Jetstar, nd). Meanwhile, Tiger Airways has operating with 27 destinations, and Air Asia has 66 destinations. This can be seen weaknesses of Jetstar Asia in aviation competition to attain customers. Limited fleet: Due to the limited fleet of seven A320 aircrafts, Jetstar Asia Airways has some difficulties in expanding its market share to new destinations. 5.3 Opportunities Jetstar Asia Airways has focused on not only individual passengers but also business travellers. It has set up several kinds of privilege services for business travellers to increase number of passengers year by year. From only 50 firms in 2004, now Jetstar has 400 corporations travelling with it (Baoying, 2009). More and more businesses, even multinational companies, are likely to choose low cost airlines to save their business cost that create potential low cost market for Jetstar Asia Airways. Besides, trend of short-haul travelling is increasing in number of Asian tourists; instead of long-haul holidays, because it enables Asian people travel more regularly in year. Focusing on these subjects, Jetstar Asia will catch more opportunities to expand its market share. In addition to this, in Singapore, two integrated resorts the Marina Bay Sands and Resorts World Sentosa will be opened in 2010. At that time, number of travellers visit Singapore will increase dramatically. There will be about 15 million visitors coming to Singapore (integratedresort, nd). Such general trends as mentioned above will bring prospect for Singapore airline industry, including budget airlines and mainstream airlines. 5.4 Threats

Freedom and Virtue in John Miltons Comus and Areopagitica :: Comus and Areopagitica Essays

Freedom and Virtue  in John Milton's Comus and Areopagitica  Ã‚  Ã‚      The martyred author of Utopia, Sir Thomas More-executed for treason against the king-is credited with the final words, "If I must live in a world in which I cannot act within my conscience, I do not wish to live!" Generations later, the fiery patriotism and explicit candor of Patrick Henry led him to utter the renowned "Give me Liberty or give me death!" Along the same lines of these two men, John Milton's "Areopagitica" argues that the essence of life is freedom to choose how one lives it. In another of Milton's works, the masque play Comus, the Elder Brother's statements concerning virtue establish some of the foundations for his argument in the work he wrote "in order to deliver the press from the restraints with which it was encumbered" (716).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The root of Milton's assertions lies in his complete hope in the prevailing of virtue. In these two works, confidence in virtue and in the ability of good men to practice it is crucial. The first part of the Elder Brother's statement is, in fact, a comment on confidence, in response to his brother's question concerning the unfavorable odds stacked against the Lady, their sister. He says, "Yes, and keep [confidence] still,/ Lean on it safely . . . against the threats/ Of malice or of sorcery, or that power/ Which erring men call Chance" (584-588). The Elder Brother's remarks show that he believes in the triumph of the Spirit against all odds, including the Fates and Fortune. As he states, "this I hold firm;/ Virtue may be assail'd but never hurt,/ Surpris'd by unjust force but not enthrall'd," because it is founded upon the "will and arm of Heav'n" (588-600). Milton's argument in the "Areopagitica" holds true to these ideas also, that we must have confiden ce in virtue and its ability to triumph over all trials and temptations because-if it is truly of God-it will stand predominant over all evils. In outlining his argument, Milton reminds his audience over and over of the duty they have to trust in the virtue of their fellow men; just as God allowed Adam to have the choice to err, so must the state give men the right to choose, to try their own ideas of virtue.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The Spirit describes: Great Comus . . . whose pleasing poison

The Lottery :: essays research papers

â€Å"The Lottery† Shirley Jackson wrote â€Å"The Lottery† in 1948, not long after the second World War. The horror of the Holocaust was still fresh in everyone’s mind’s. Jackson wrote this story to remind everyone that we are not so far from this world of sadistic human sacrifice. She created a town, very much like any American town, with the gathering of the towns people to celebrate some annual event. She wanted to shine a mirror on contemporary society, a reflection of humanity, or rather, inhumanity. One would think that she was protesting against the shallow hypocrites that rule the world. The town sets up this lottery in a very practical way, there were several things that were a part of the ritual that the town allowed to fade from practice. But the town still saw it necessary to stone a citizen to death once a year just because that was the way it was always done. Shirley Jackson wanted the world to try and find another way, to break away from traditions and be more humane human beings. Once the heads of household have drawn, everyone looks at the slip of paper in their hands and at the same time everyone is praying that it is not their family. Once again the family members draw and each one is praying it is not them, at the same time they know that they are about to lose a loved one. Everyone has felt these same feelings. A friend loses her husband or child and we say a little prayer of thanks to what ever power each of us believes in , thank goodness it was not me. When Tessie Hutchinson realizes that her family has been chosen she says, ‘ I tell you it wasn ’t fair. You didn’t give him time enough to choose. Everybody saw that.†(233) â€Å"The Lottery† makes one feel guilty for desiring one’s own survival.